Gwendolyn Brooks was a prominent American poet whose work delved into the African American experience. Born on June 7, 1917, in Topeka, Kansas, she spent much of her life in Chicago, Illinois. Brooks' poetry frequently depicted the struggles and victories of the African American community, and she became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1950 for her collection 'Annie Allen'. She passed away on December 3, 2000.
